The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a gas turbine engine combustor.
In a gas turbine engine, compressor discharge feed air is output from a compressor and supplied to a combustor. The combustor includes components, such as the combustion casing and the end cap, that are formed to cooperatively define an axis-symmetric annulus through which the feed air travels.
The annulus first directs the feed air to travel from an aft axial location of the combustor toward the combustor head end where the annulus directs the feed air to flow radially inwardly and then to flow in an axially aft direction whereby the feed air enters fuel nozzles for combustion. Thus, the feed air follows a 180° turn in the annulus as the feed air flows into the fuel nozzles. Often, this turning is associated with the fact that considerable head loss is expended from the feed air as the feed air turns and forms flow field feeding the fuel nozzles